Revelations

Oliver was transported into the interrogation room once more. This was odd. Normally, the Tholians brought him here while he was asleep, to try and disorient him. As always, the voice of his interrogator began talking.

"Let's not keep playing that boring game, Oliver." The voice replied "Tell me what you know and you have my word that you, your crew and your ship will be released."

"Somehow I doubt the Tholians would allow that." Oliver replied "Why don't you tell me what you know?"

There was a pause that seemed to go on for an eternity. Then, finally, a response.

"Very well." The voice said "The Pelarik Drive was developed in 2392, with an aim to develop a drive that surpassed Warp Drive in it'ability to travel in both space and time."

"What?" Oliver asked "Are you trying to say that it's a time drive?"

"Oh, yes." The voice said "Me and my associates have used it for years. It's had some side effects, of course. The loss of the Constitution Class Defiant in 2268, which nearly also resulted in the loss of James T Kirk. A transporter mishap or two caused by the subspace side effects of the drive, resulting in crossovers with a mirror universe. The Enterprise-B ending up in the Delta Quadrant last year after being lost in 2329. The Red Matter Black hole created to stop Hobus from destroying the Alpha Quadrant becoming a temporal gateway instead. Your little jaunt to 2395 where you almost responded to a distress call from yourself..."

Of course. It made sense. The drive hadn't transported them to an alternate reality before. It had sent them forward in time, anywhere between one and two years forward in time. Still, he needed more.

"Oh, more than you can imagine, Oliver. You see, through my machinations with your First Officer's... Twin, I have gained exactly what I wanted." The voice said as the modulation began to drop out "The position I have long coveted..."

There was a shimmering blue light of a transporter confinement beam. When it dissipated, Oliver was shocked at who he saw.

"Surprised to see me, Commodore?" Thero asked with a smirk "You know, the good will I'm going to get for my negotiations getting your freed will ensure my second term as Federation President. Granted, the fact that your ship lost the Romulan scientist will mean the end of our current tentative alliance with the Romulans, and the Klingons will insist we begin a conflict with them. The quadrant will be turbulent for a time but myself and my backers will prosper!"

"That's treason..." Oliver said, pausing before he got a wry grin "However, thank you. You see, I know you wouldn't risk me actually being captured by the Tholians. Requiem is a little bit too valuable. Good facsimile though. Unfortunately, for you to have spoke to meas you did before, you need to have communications, and by proxy, voice control, active. Computer, Command Override. Authorisation Lancaster Alpha 7110."

There was a beep from the computer. Oliver smirked.

"End program." He said, Thero disappearing before the environment changed to the silver and yellow walls of the holodeck "Re-enable all voice ocmmand subroutines and prepare for departure. Open a channel to the Tholians."

"Channel Open." The Computer spoke.

"This is Commodore Oliver Lancaster of the United Federation the Planets to Tholian Leadership. Your accomplice, President Elect Thero, is guilty of high treason. He is without any sense of honour nor integrity. He will betray you. Release me and I assure you, he will be arrested and no repercussions will befall you or your people. Otherwise, you risk a war with the Federation, the Klingons and the Romulans. How do you respond?"

Silence. Then.

"We shall allow you to leave, Commodore. With one condition." The Tholian Commander spoke "The Pelarik Drive is a potential weapon. All instances of it, and it's design, are to be destroyed."

Oliver was surprised. Normally the Tholians wanted more advanced technology. Then again, they were dealing with a drive that could cause temporal anomalies and aborations.